Disgraced Chu An-hsiung is Taiwan's most wanted

BOUNTY HUNT A cash reward of up to NT$10 million is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the former Kaohsiung speaker, who absconded last month

By Ko Shu-ling / STAFF REPORTER

Former speaker of the Kaohsiung City Council Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄) tops the list of the nation's 10 most wanted fugitives, the Cabinet announced yesterday. A cash reward of up to NT$10 million is being offered for information leading to the arrest of any of these fugitives, regardless of the informant's nationality.

Although even PRC citizens can come forward with information, the reward does not apply to judicial or martial prosecutors, police officers, law enforcement officers or domestic or foreign government officials investigating major criminal cases.

Despite the government's efforts, a Cabinet official who asked not to be named said that the list is politically motivated.

"If you closely study the list, you'll find that only two are wanted for undermining social security," the official said, insinuating that the remaining eight are involved in political cases.

The other people on the list are Wu Tse-yuan (伍澤元), a former member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and independent lawmaker, Liu Kuan-chun (劉冠軍), former chief cashier of the National Security Bureau, Andrew Wang (汪傳浦), a murder suspect, Eddie Liu (劉偉杰), an embezzlement suspect, Chen You-hao (陳由豪), former chairman of the Tuntex Group, Chang Wan-li (張萬利), former chairman of the Jin Wen Institute of Technology, Hsueh Chiu (薛球) and Chen Yi-hua (陳益華), kidnappers, and Chang Chao-chuan (張朝權), former Changhua County deputy commissioner.

Wu was convicted on corruption and fraud charges in 1996 for his involvement in the 1992 Sipiantou (四汴頭) scandal involving a project to build a water-pumping station in Taipei County when he was director of the Taiwan Provincial Government's Planning and Development Department.

The Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation believes that its special agents have spotted Wu in Guangzhou, China.

Liu Kuan-chun is suspected of embezzling more than NT$192 million from the National Security Bureau. According to the Bureau of Investigation, he left Taiwan in September 2000 and went to Shanghai. He surfaced in Bangkok in January last year and then went to North America. Sources said that he is now in Canada.

Wang has been wanted since September 2000 in connection with the murder of navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (尹清楓) in December 1993. He is suspected of having received a share of a secret commission for having played an instrumental role in securing the deal for a French company, Thomson CSF, now called Thales, to build six Lafayette frigates for Taiwan.

Chen You-hao was indicted on charges of breach of trust. He reportedly left Taiwan for China last August. He was accused of stealing NT$800 million from the Tuntex Group's subsidiary Tunghua Development in 1995 and investing the money in China.

The Tuntex Group is one of the country's largest conglomerates, incorporating department stores, property development and construction. The group experienced a financial crisis in 1995 and 1996, which many attribute to the alleged theft.

Chang Wan-li was accused of embezzling money from the Jin Wen Institute before fleeing the country.

Hsueh Chiu (薛球) and Chen Yi-hua (陳益華) are wanted for their alleged involvement in a shooting incident in Miaoli County and several robberies.